Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
The following is a near‑verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary‑General.
**China
The Secretary‑General is on his way back to New York. Earlier today, speaking at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2018, in his remarks, which we distributed to you, he said that globalization is irreversible. It has brought many benefits, he said; hundreds of millions of people have risen from poverty, but vast numbers of people are being left behind. He stressed the need for a fair globalization that leaves no one behind as a pathway to peace and sustainable development. But the Secretary‑General added that we won’t make globalization fair by isolationism, protectionism or exclusion. Global problems need global multilateral solutions and our contribution to a fair globalization is the 2030 Agenda [for Sustainable Development].
The Secretary‑General said there is another challenge that can undo all our best efforts to end poverty and promote universal peace and well‑being: that is climate change. This is a global threat in itself and a massive multiplier of other threats that is moving faster than we are. He said that we need to dramatically raise our ambition, adding: “Science demands it. The global economy needs it. And humanity depends on it.” Before leaving Boao, the Secretary‑General also met with Shahid Abbasi, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, as well as the Prime Minister of Mongolia [Khurelsukh Ukhnaa] in separate meetings.
**Syria
You will have seen on Syria that overnight, the Secretary‑General issued a statement in which he expressed his outrage at the continued reports of use of chemical weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic and reiterated his strong condemnation of the use of chemical weapons against the civilian population. The seriousness of the recent allegations requires a thorough investigation using impartial, independent and professional expertise. In that regard, the Secretary‑General reaffirms his full support for the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and its fact‑finding mission in undertaking the required investigation into these allegations. The fact‑finding mission should be granted full access, without any restrictions or impediments to perform its activities. The norms against chemical weapons must be upheld, he said. The Secretary‑General appeals to the Security Council to fulfil its responsibility and find unity on this issue, and also encourages the Council to redouble its efforts to agree on a dedicated mechanism for accountability. He stands ready to support such efforts.
Meanwhile, UNHCR [Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees] said it was particularly concerned about the situation in Douma where tens of thousands of civilians remain trapped. UNHCR estimates that more than 133,000 people have fled eastern Ghouta over the past four weeks. This is almost three times the number reported on 20 March. And Panos Moumtzis, the Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria crisis, said today that over half of the Syrian population has now been displaced and is in need of humanitarian and protection assistance. We are trying to get Mr. Moumtzis to speak to you by videoconference before the end of the week.
**Great Lakes Region
Back here, the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes, Said Djinnit, briefed the Security Council this morning. He said that negative forces, including the Allied Democratic Forces, continue to attack and terrify the population, causing suffering and displacement, and fuelling mistrust between the countries of the region. He also noted that in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, despite progress in preparations for the elections, tensions persist between the Government and the opposition, and that in Burundi, the political and human rights situation remains of great concern, particularly as the country is heading towards a referendum for constitutional changes. Human rights violations and impunity remain central to the instability in the region. Mr. Djinnit also stressed that the humanitarian situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the region requires greater attention. While progress is slow and the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework Agreement is yet to fully deliver on the expectations it raised, it remains a vital tool which requires greater political will, the Special Envoy said. His remarks have been shared.
**Libya
On Libya, our human rights colleagues warn in a report published today that armed groups in Libya, including those affiliated with the State, hold thousands of people in prolonged arbitrary and unlawful detention, and submit them to torture and other human rights violations and abuses. Since renewed hostilities broke out in 2014, armed groups on all sides have rounded up suspected opponents, critics, activists, medical professionals, journalists and politicians, the report says. Hostage‑taking for prisoner exchanges or ransom is also common. The report, which was published in cooperation with the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), calls on the authorities to publicly and unequivocally condemn torture, ill‑treatment and summary executions of those detained, and ensure accountability for those crimes.
**South Sudan
The Humanitarian Coordinator for South Sudan, Alain Noudehou, strongly condemned the killing of an aid worker in Bentiu, in South Sudan’s Unity State. He called for the immediate and unconditional release of seven others abducted by an armed group in Morobo County, in Central Equatoria State in South Sudan. At least 99 aid workers have been killed since the start of the conflict in December 2013 in South Sudan. Most of these victims have been South Sudanese.
**Climate Change
You will have seen that yesterday we issued a statement in which the Secretary‑General stressed the importance of global efforts to address climate change at the meeting being held in London this week of the International Maritime Organization’s Marine Environment Protection Committee. He added that, given the increasing vulnerability of all countries to climate change, policy and market signals need to quickly align to encourage the maritime industry to make the needed transition toward zero net greenhouse gas emissions.
**Indonesia
I want to flag that our colleagues Miroslav Jenča, the Assistant Secretary‑General for Political Affairs, was in Jakarta yesterday and today, where, together with ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] Secretary‑General [Dato] Lim Jock Hoi, he co‑chaired the ASEAN‑UN Secretariat‑to‑Secretariat meeting and a meeting between the UN and the ASEAN Committee of Permanent Representatives. Mr. Jenča stressed the Secretary‑General’s prevention agenda and recalled his call for a “quantum leap” in cooperation between the two organizations at the ninth summit that took place in Manila in November, and he impressed upon ASEAN counterparts the need for expanded and deepened cooperation with regional partners to tackle today’s challenges. We have issued a note to correspondents on that.
**Press Briefings
Tomorrow, our guest at noon will be the Executive Director of the Counter‑Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED), Michèle Coninsx. She will brief you on CTED’s latest trends report, called “The challenge of returning and relocating foreign terrorist fighters: research perspectives.” She will be accompanied by CTED Chief of Branch David Scharia.
Also, we have been asked to flag the multimedia event entitled “Second Generation – Things I Didn’t Tell My Father”, with Israeli cartoonist and illustrator Michel Kichka, which will take place tomorrow in Conference Room 1, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Mr. Kichka will share his personal story as the son of a Holocaust survivor and describe the creative process which led him to write and draw a graphic novel of the same name. You are all invited. And let's stop there and take some questions. Masood?
**Questions and Answers
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. Two questions. One is about this report on the Libyans who have been, I mean, tortured every day in the prisons by these various militant groups. And the report says it's just that those are unrepentant, these killers, and that they… how can these people be brought to justice is what… can the UN bring those people to justice is the question?
Spokesman: I think the point of our efforts in Libya has been towards reconciliation to try to help the State to ensure that it is represented throughout the territory, and by helping to create and bring new institutions, by helping in building institutions, part of that is to ensuring that there is justice and that those who are committed… who have committed these crimes be brought to justice. It is important to shed light on what is going on and that people be held accountable and that those who have authority condemn these actions. Your second question?
Question: Yes. Do you have any… I mean, what I'm saying, any mechanism to bring these people to justice at all?
Spokesman: Well, there is the mechanisms that currently exist in Libya, but it is very important to have… to ensure that political stability returns to Libya. Yes, sir?
Question: Bonjeur, monsieur, Deepak Arora from the Tribune Online. You just mentioned that the Secretary‑General, in his remarks, said that collaboration is irreversible. Now you see stances involved in the modern world where different countries are imposing embargoes and trying to look at from their perspective. So, what exactly is UN and Secretary‑General is doing to stop this kind of trade war?
Spokesman: This is exactly the message that the Secretary‑General has been passing on, that we need global solutions, that globalization has been a positive… has had tremendous positive impact on the world. And, obviously, there have been some downsides in terms of inequality, which is a great concern of his, but that the answer to today's problems are for Member States to work through existing mechanisms, to work on global solutions, and not to retreat into protectionism and isolationism. Madame?
Question: On Yemen, there was air strikes that… by the Coalition that killed about 13 Yemenis. Do you have any comments on that? And also, regarding the humanitarian efforts there. Thank you.
Spokesman: Sorry. What was your second part of your question?
Correspondent: The humanitarian efforts in Yemen.
Spokesman: The efforts of Mr. [Martin] Griffiths are continuing. In terms of the latest air strikes that we saw in the last 24 hours, we're not in a position to independently confirm the incidents, but, obviously, any reports where we see civilians hurt, where we likely see civilians targeted, including children, are extremely concerning. And I think they… what we're seeing in Yemen are… is continuing violence, continuing suffering of the Yemeni people. The civilians are carrying the brunt of the military actions that is ongoing in Yemen. And, again, we reiterate our call for cessation of violence and encourage all parties to rejoin the political discussions. Abdelhamid, then Olga.
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. Sorry to… for coming late. Do you have any update on the visit of Mr. [Nickolay] Mladenov to Gaza?
Spokesman: No, not any more, but we can see if there's anything we can share with you. Olga?
Question: Thanks, Stéphane. It's been two days already since the chemical incident in Douma in Syria, and you were telling us as well as [Special Envoy of the Secretary‑General] Staffan de Mistura that UN has no one on the ground and no independent ways to… to find out what… what happened. After two days, do you have anything new? I mean, did you request any information?
Spokesman: No, I think you've seen that the OPCW is sending a fact‑finding mission to Douma. It is critical that they be given full and unfettered access. This tool, the fact‑finding mission that the OPCW one, is a critical one to establish whether or not chemical weapons have been used. It is a tool of a treaty‑based body that Member States have signed up to, and Member States who have signed onto this body need to respect the work of the body and need to facilitate its work. The missing piece here is the accountability, and that's exactly what the Secretary‑General was saying in his statement, is that we have the fact‑finding, but we need the other piece, which was supplied in the past through the Joint Investigative Mechanism — no longer exists, and the Secretary‑General's strong message to the Security Council is to ensure that there is accountability. And he support… he encourages them to find unity to re‑create a mechanism through which accountability could be attributed.
Question: Can I follow up on that?
Spokesman: You may.
Question: Does it mean that Secretary‑General welcomes the US draft existing in the Council that the Council will be voting this afternoon?
Spokesman: The Secretary‑General's not taking sides on any drafts. I think, if you look at what he said in his statement, he calls on them to find unity and encourages Council to redouble its efforts to agree on dedicated mechanisms for accountability. We all need… the international community, I think, is waiting for accountability on this use of… on this reported use of chemical weapons. So we have half a tool. Right? We have a tool through OPCW that allows us to establish the facts. The facts are a very important part of it, but the other part is that of accountability, and it's up to the Security Council for all of its members to find unity and agree on a text. Masood?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. I just… it's just a follow‑up question. Is there any timeline to OPCW report on this Douma…?
Spokesman: I think that's a question for OPCW. They've said… they've announced… I don't speak for them. They've announced they will be sending the mission, but that's a question for them. Yes?
Question: Can I follow up on that, please? I was just wondering, to clarify, whether the OPCW fact‑finding mission has the mandate to attribute the responsibility, to a party? Thank you.
Spokesman: No, it does not.
Question: Also follow‑up on that. Do you have more information about whether they left already? Are they going through Damascus? And…
Spokesman: I will… they've put out a press release with the contacts again. We don't speak for them, but we can share with you the information they've put out.
Question: Okay. So I have a follow‑up on that. Do you… I know that you said that you don't have… you cannot clarify whether… about the attack as an independent Organization. My question is whether you have people on the ground or anyone. I know that you have been delivering… trying to deliver aid and it was not…
Spokesman: We've not been into Douma recently and especially since these reports of attacks.
Question: But do you have anyone there…?
Spokesman: We're not in a position to establish the facts as to whether or not chemical weapons were used. We are extremely concerned by the reports, by the videos that we've seen of civilians, of especially children. Facts need to be established, and as I said to Olga, the accountability needs to be established as well. Yes, sir?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. Please allow me to switch from crimes against humanity in Syria and Yemen to crimes against the press in Egypt, where the editor‑in‑chief of the news website Masr al‑Arabia was arrested by the Government plainclothes alleged security forces, and they seized all the computer equipment, the report… the news agency feeds in the headquarters and arrested…
Spokesman: Sir, what is the… I've seen the reports. What is the question?
Question: How does Secretary‑General feels the continued attitude and the practices of the Egyptian Government against the press, which is a continuation of a pattern?
Spokesman: I think the… you know, we've expressed our concern about the limited political space that we've seen in Egypt, including recent arrests and detention, and we're continuing to engage with the Egyptian authorities on this issue. Thank you very much. Khalas. And have a wonderful Tuesday? Wednesday? Tuesday. Thank you, Walter.